SHARKS NOTEBOOK / Sharks Consider Trades to Fill Voids

Tony Cooper, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, October 15, 1998

Sharks general manager Dean Lombardi gallantly hasn't given up hope yet. However, the prospects of re-signing holdouts Jeff Friesen and Owen Nolan are so bleak that he's exploring trades in an attempt fill the holes created by the absent pair.

"After (negotiating with agent Mike Barnett, who represents both players) Thursday, that's something that has to be considered," said Lombardi. "We still have an obligation to the other 24 guys to make the team as good as it can be. It would help, but I don't want to do anything that's decidedly going to take you off the track of what you want to accomplish. It's a balancing act.

"You can't replace those guys. We'd try to find someone that helps us now and can be a piece when they come back; we're trying to find ways to make the team better. We want those guys to be a part of it."

Neither Friesen or Nolan is part of it yet. Lombardi said he made proposals to both on Tuesday, but they were shot down by Barnett. The GM added that he met with Nolan in person the other day, and while the chat was positive, it didn't result in a signed document.

"There's no doubt in my mind Owen wanted to be here," Lombardi said.

The Sharks would like to see Nolan, and Friesen, for that matter, back in uniform.

"It's disappointing, but there's nothing we can do," said center Bernie Nicholls. "The bad part is we're a much better team with those guys. One of them (Friesen) is our best player, and the other should be our best player. The disappointing part is when you know how great you can be when those two guys show up."

According to Lombardi, the holdouts are costing Nolan and Friesen about $13,000 each per day, and a big sticking point in the negotiations is the issue of back pay. Barnett wants his clients to recoup those losses, while Lombardi continues to insist he will not give in on this issue, even if it's the difference between signing them or not.

"This is something all teams go through; it's not unique," Lombardi said. "It's a major bump in the road."

Lombardi joked -- but there was probably much seriousness behind it -- that he was afraid the deep-pocketed New York Rangers, who are off to an 0-3 start, would toss hefty offer sheets at either Friesen or Nolan, forcing the Sharks to match. A slow start by the Sharks also could force Lombardi's hand.

"(Barnett) says, 'We're not going to seal any tickets with these guys.' He's counting on us losing," Lombardi said. "He's obviously sitting at home, hoping we go 0-6."

Regardless of what happens, Lombardi swears there will be no lame- brained, panic deals, such as the ones that netted San Jose major head-cases Ray Sheppard and Craig Janney a couple of years ago.

"It has to be the right guy," Lombardi said. "He has to fit now and fit where we're going. We're only paying for certain players."

SOON-TO-BE SHARK: San Jose is about to strengthen itself in the pugilism department by signing veteran left wing Dennis Vial, who had been with the Chicago Wolves of the International Hockey League.

Vial played 19 games with Ottawa last season, missing most of the year with a knee injury. He had no points and 45 penalty minutes with the Senators last season and also has been with the Rangers and Detroit. Vial racked up 276 penalty minutes with Ottawa in 1995-96.

"He's a character guy and knows his role," said Lombardi. "There is an element of the team missing, and we're trying to address it."

Vial could be added to the roster for Sunday's home opener against Boston. If so, a player would have to be dropped to bring the roster back to the limit of 24.

MISCELLANY: Defenseman Gary Suter skated with the team for the first time yesterday, but his projected recovery from a torn triceps has been pushed back. It doesn't appear as if he'll be able to play until after the Sharks' three-game road trip, which ends with a game in Dallas a week from Saturday.

"It was good to be out there," said Suter, who missed all of the exhibition season as well as the two games in Tokyo. "I got tired of skating by myself. The next two weeks (I'll be back) for sure."

Another sidelined defenseman, Marcus Ragnarsson, estimates that it will be a "week or two" before his broken left thumb is fully operational. The Swede was hurt when Los Angeles' Steve McKenna slashed him in the final exhibition game.

"My major concern right now is holding the stick," Ragnarsson said. "I don't know how long it's going to take to heal. It (being slashed) happens all the time. Unfortunately, it happened to me. He hit a weak spot on my glove."